Spring control



Jan. 3, 1933. T. c. MOCONKEY ET AL SPRING CONTROL Filed July 28, 1927 INVENTORj TGB Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNHTED STATES THOMAS CLARKSON MCCONKEY AND GEORGES PICARD, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC,

CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. J. COGHLIN COIIIPANY LIMITED, 015 MONTREAL,

QUEBEC, CANADA, A CORPORATION SPRING CONTROL Application filed. July 26,

This invention relates to vehicle springs and more particularly to providing means to restrain the rebound of the spring following its flexure, and forming a part of the leaf construction.

Various devices have been employed to restrain the rebound of vehicle springs in the form of attachments, which have been applied to the spring, whereas in this invention the means employed forms a part of the leaf construction adjusted by a clamp.

The invention consists in providing longitudinally extended arched ends to one of the intermediate leaves of a spring, with clamps embracing the arches and the main leaf, which enable the leaves to be distorted or ridged within the arch and the tension and friction between such leaves to be adjusted.

I am aware that a vehicle spring with one of its leaves arched near its ends has been employed in combination with an adjacent leaf having ridges made to fit within the arches. See United States Patent No. 1,495,177. May 20th, 1924.

In this invention however, the arched ends of the leaf are employed in combination with adjustable clamps, forming a two point contact on one'side of the spring and an intermediate point of contact below the spring, whereby the leaves below the arch-es may be distorted or ridged within the arches, to the degree required to restrain end-wise movement between the leaves so distorted or ridged.

I am also aware that spring bows with clamps have been employed to increase the Fig. 1.

The spring 1, of the semi-elliptic type, has

1927. Serial No. 208,641.

a main leaf 10, terminating in eyelets, a second leaf 11, extends towards the eyelets, the third leaf 12, has an arch 13, at each end, with the edge 14, hearing on the surface of the r leaf 11. The arch 13 which forms the rigid element of the leaf 12, is preferably made with a groove or indentation 15 to receive the clamp 2. The clamp is shown as a U bolt 2, seats in the indentation 15, with its threaded ends extended through the perforated plate 3. The nuts 20 preferably are look nuts. The arch 13 with the adjusted clamp 2 form a rigid two point contact on one side of the spring and an intermediate point of contact on the other side.

With a construction such as above described, the clamp can be adjusted to produce a distortion or ridging of the leaves 10 and 11 over the plate 3 and between the two point contact of the arch 13. By the tightening of the clamp the frictional resistance between the leaf 12 and its edge 14, and the adjacent leaf 11 is increased, while the distortion of the leaves 10 and 11 effects a binding or gripping action between them which interferes with their endwise movement independently.

When the spring is lengthened by downward pressure of its center or upward pressure of its ends, the leaves tend to slide on one another, but are restricted by the distortion or ridging of their parts within the clamp and arch, according to the degree of adjustment. On the rebound, the same restriction operates to limit the extent of the rebound. The device also restrains any tendency to vibrate or shake. The violence of wheel shocks is greatly diminished when used on motor vehicles, and smoother running is obtained by a simple and inexpensive shock absorber.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shock absorber, a leaf spring having an intermediate leaf arched at its end, its end edge bearing vertically on the adjacent leaf, adapted to form a two point base against the adjacent leaves thereunder, and a clamp about the arch and the said leaves.

2. In a shock absorber, a leaf spring having an intermediate leaf arched at its end, its 100 end edge bearing vertically on the adjacent leaf, adapted to form a two point base against 

